Phoenix (spacecraft)

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/phoenix-spacecraft

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mission category?Mars Scout Program uncrewed lander
2. What is the scientific objective?Assess local habitability and research the history of water on Mars
3. What was the Phoenix spacecraft and where did it land?Phoenix was a robot lander that went to Mars and landed on the planet’s north polar region in 2008.
4. Why did Phoenix look for water on Mars?Scientists wanted to see if there was water ice under the surface and if Mars could have had life, so Phoenix was sent to a spot with lots of ice.

Regolith: The layer of loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock, including dust, soil, and broken rock.
Sublimation: The process where a solid changes directly into a gas without first becoming a liquid.
Perchlorates: Salts containing the perchlorate anion (ClO4-), found in Martian soil, which can affect the detection of organic molecules.